Stunning photo of frozen moose captures eternal fight

A man in Alaska came upon a sight that many of us have never encountered.

Two moose in North River, a branch of the Unalakleet River in Alaska, apparently froze to death with their antlers interlocking. It's assumed they died mid-fight.

An acquaintance of Jeff Erickson, who lives in the small village of Unalakleet, came across the moose. Erickson told independent Alaskan journal Craig Medred, "It appears that one of the brow tines (on the antler) penetrated and may have ended this (battle) fast."

RELATED: See photos of the frozen moose

The 'winner' ended up "with a 1000 lb headdress and probably pulled his head into the water where he drowned," Erickson said.

According to Craig Medred, this was a "mating battle" between the moose; males apparently fight to the death for the companionship of females.

Erickson shared the photos on Facebook, where they went viral and became picked up by other sources like The Alaska Life.

Erickson told Craig Medred that he recovered the moose heads and will mount them.

While the photos are fascinating, they also show the harsh reality of the Alaskan wilderness.